As described in copending application Ser. No. 10/207,734 filed Jul. 29, 2002 and assigned to General Motors Corp., which is herein incorporated by reference, a body connection system for connecting a vehicle body to a vehicle chassis may include an electrical connector disposed on the body that is automatically matable with a complementary electrical connector disposed on the chassis. Electrical signals may be communicated between the body and the chassis through the mated connectors. This design is especially advantageous in implementing by-wire control systems on vehicles, such as by-wire braking and by-wire steering, and thereby reducing mechanical linkages between the body and the chassis. As discussed in application Ser. No. 10/207,734, the mated connectors may be decoupled from one another in detaching the body from the chassis.
Because the connectors play a vital role in enabling functioning vehicle systems, it is desirable to protect the connectors from damage that may occur during repeated mating and decoupling.